2496 replies to this topic

[betacygni]

92481010_3193979760635075_395888855321935872_n.jpgMy home made 4" f12 refractor ,mount and tripod. Edmunds lense and RKE eyepeces.

Stunning. The fact that it’s home made even more so. I have often dreamed of a retirement spent crafting works of art like that!

[Lagrange]

What mount are you using here? Looks like some sort of pan head?

They look like Manfrotto 500 fluid video heads.

 

I've got something similar and while IMHO they're not as good as a dedicated alt-az mount for astro use because of balance issues when viewing at high angles, they work very well with small scopes if you want something that can do a bit of everything and they're particularly good for watching birds and wildlife.

[Castor]

92481010_3193979760635075_395888855321935872_n.jpgMy home made 4" f12 refractor ,mount and tripod. Edmunds lense and RKE eyepeces.

 

Impressive craftsmanship rogue_river_art,   a work of art like others already noted! 

[YAOG]

Hi,

 

Here are my three ready to go.  Unfortunately, the weather has been really bad this winter and I have not yet had an opportunity to really try out my new TAK DZ that I picked up at the beginning of November 2021 !!

 

Doug.....

Once you get a look through your new Takahashi FC-100DZ the others will be up for sale so you can buy a bigger Takahashi. Add the Takahashi Extender QE1.6x and you will be shocked at what these refractors can deliver at the eyepiece. It goes without saying that you will need excellent weather and a top notch Baader BBHS prism or a BBHS coated mirror diagonal with top shelf eyepieces to experience what these telescopes can deliver but wow at the eyepiece.   

[AnakChan]

Not a new scope as I've had this Pentax 125SDP for about 6-7 yrs now. However I have recently had an autofocus custom mod done to it. And now (aside from scope setup/tear down - unless I leave it out for a couple of days), it's pretty much fully automated with thanks to N.I.N.A.



I commissioned the work to Joshua Bunn who did the most well thought-off design for the helical focuser.



And separately took the Takahashi FSQ85ED (BabyQ) to the beach to take pix of Comet Leonard early last month.

[ken30809]

Another look at my Stellarvue 130 f/7 apo.. About as good as it gets for a 5" ED triplet 

Beautiful rig!

[R.Kelley]

Beautiful rig!

Thanks! I used this rig the last four nights in a row..   

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Edited by R.Kelley, 02 February 2022 - 07:24 PM.

[Eric H]

My new widefield imaging rig.

 

Redcat 71

ASI 2600MC Pro

iOptron GEM45

ASI Air Plus

Tri-pier

 

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[YAOG]

Here is the bespoke Parallax/AT130 f/6 apo on the Losmandy G11G on standby in the garage waiting for starlight. Current imaging setup includes: ASIAIR+ with ASI183MM-Pro, ZWO EFW-8, ZWO T2-Tilter, ZWO helical focuser OAG with ASI290MM-mini & ZWO 5V-EAF. 

 

 

 

 

 

[fedele]

Omegon Achromat 80/400

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[R.Kelley]

And here's my other little gem, with the Binoviewing Apparatus..

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Edited by R.Kelley, 03 February 2022 - 06:58 PM.

[Starlighter]

Televue NP-101 on Gibraltar 5 mount. My favorite scope. Never disappoints.

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[Starlighter]

I realize I should have posted the last photo on the Cats & Casses forum. 

[SpikeFalcon]

Looked like a great rig, like your refractors!

[betacygni]

My latest addition to the refractor family, an older Stellarvue 80ED in a binoviewer friendly tube. Very nice scope, and built extremely well like every Stellarvue I’ve owned (the new 2.5” focuser is particularly nice).

 

 

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[Rockin'Robin]

92481010_3193979760635075_395888855321935872_n.jpgMy home made 4" f12 refractor ,mount and tripod. Edmunds lense and RKE eyepeces.

Wow!! That is a work of art!! You should be proud.

 

~Robin

[Starlighter]

A really nice scope. The Japanese made Vixen A80M.  It shows less color than an ED scope I once owned, made by a respected brand. I bought the Vixen used from a member. He added the metal carry handle and the Vixen finder.  It arrived in flawless condition.  

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[gzljh96]

Something a bit different — a Teton LOMO 95/650 triplet without focuser. I believe very few of those were ever made. Some say 7; but weren’t it available from several vendors, like Teton, APM and SV? Either way, I plan on fitting it with a Moonlite and use it with new rings — it will be my new imaging scope.

 

[TomC_RR]

I entered the rabbit hole last spring. May 2021.

[Scott in NC]

Something a bit different — a Teton LOMO 95/650 triplet without focuser. I believe very few of those were ever made. Some say 7; but weren’t it available from several vendors, like Teton, APM and SV? Either way, I plan on fitting it with a Moonlite and use it with new rings — it will be my new imaging scope.

 

B4822765-463E-4555-A64A-62B4CE75E64F.jpegD4AB7987-704C-4E28-915B-304CD9F95E00.jpeg

That’s really nice!  You don’t see those very often.  Very few were made, but I think it was more than 7 (likely not many more than that though).  I believe that 7 were sold under the Stellarvue brand name.   Did you just get this scope?

[LDW47]

My 60mm Tasco 9vr on a new mount.

 

[gzljh96]

That’s really nice! You don’t see those very often. Very few were made, but I think it was more than 7 (likely not many more than that though). I believe that 7 were sold under the Stellarvue brand name. Did you just get this scope?

A local person has it and he was interested in my NP-101. I find the NP-101 too long to carry around so I traded my scope with his.

I got a Moonlite to pair with it but it’s quite heavy. The assembly is probably going to weigh more than the NP-101 did.

[Starlighter]

A great, compact refractor. The William Optics Zenith-Star 66mm Doublet SD APO, Patriot version.

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[desertlens]

A compact and speedy triplet:

 

Sharpstar 76 EDPH, ƒ5.5

[Starlighter]

Meade Series 5000 80mm APO triplet with a Lumicon laser pointer.  Excellent widefield scope. 

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